


The Name of a Merchant

by titaniumOvaries



Category: OFF (Game)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Humor, Light BDSM, Misunderstanding, OFF Kink Meme, Rough Sex, Sexual Fantasy, Smut, also I am shameless and this is my first smut bless, fem!player
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-21
Updated: 2014-07-21
Packaged: 2018-02-09 19:41:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1995426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/titaniumOvaries/pseuds/titaniumOvaries
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Batter and the Player are dorks in love that have, in the past, discussed the possibility of expanding their sexual repertoire together. A while ago, Player introduced him to concepts such as role playing, fantasy, BDSM, and, of course, the importance of safe words. By the time Batter finally got around to being comfortable acting out one of the Player's fantasies, Player was so excited about it that she, er, <i>forgot</i> to remind him that they had a safe word in the first place.</p><p>To be fair, she thought he remembered. </p><p>He didn't. At all. </p><p>-</p><p><b>Edit 4/4/15</b>: This is an Off Kink Meme fill formerly titled "Safeword." After re-reading this, I've done some thorough editing. All the problems caused by my embarrassment over my first smut story overriding my willingness to proofread have been fixed. I've changed the summary, rewrote the story for clarity, and took care of any grammatical errors I found. Hope you enjoy! :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Name of a Merchant

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: This story is basically shameless, vile smut and fluff. Also, it's my first time writing both "literotica" as well as rough sex/fantasy play/bdsm, so if I got anything wrong, feel free to politely correct me.
> 
> Also, it's a fill from a prompt at the Off Kink Meme. What can I say? I'm a giver. ;)
> 
> (Speaking of giving...wanna give me a review when you're done reading? They make my day! *wink*)

You were beginning to wonder _why_   you had asked for this.

The Batter grips your wrist and twists it behind your back; nails dig sharply into your skin, eliciting a rush of excitement followed immediately by a jolt of fear. Although you had approached him with your fantasy, spelling out every detail of what you wanted with care and confidence, when he agreed without question you wondered if he'd be up to the task to play the cold, dominating character you wanted. Yet, now that it is here, alive, furious and forcing you face-down onto the floor - it is all too much. You feel utterly helpless, and that helplessness is both exciting and terrifying. The safeword bubbles up in your throat, but you crush the urge and allow yourself this. The first time is always the scariest, you remind yourself nervously.

The Batter forces his knee between your thighs and releases his vice-like grip to fumble with his zipper. When his grip loosens, you writhe against him, grunting with the effort, but he is too strong and you are pushed to the ground again. You gasp when calloused fingers force your lower lips apart, and _when did you become so wet?_ You bite your lip, realizing that you are completely naked and already a panting, sweaty mess. The thought of how he must look, stone-faced and completely in control, makes you ache for the feel of him inside, rough, forceful and pulling all the strings.

“Are you ready?” He asks coldly, cruelly, and you shake your head no. This is all a part of the act: earlier the two of you had discussed it at length. Still, his words send a shiver down your spine.

“Too bad,” he says. “ _I’m going to fuck you raw._ ”

He makes good of his promise swiftly; before you can work in a line of your own he slams inside of you with a brutal force that makes you cry out. Ragged groans turn into hushed yelps of pleasure as Batter begins to pump hard and fast into his Puppeteer.

It feels incredible to do this, to hand over the reigns of power to someone you trust wholeheartedly, and you moan shamelessly.  _Ah, yes,_  a blissful voice in the back of your mind murmurs. _That's why I wanted this._

Still inside of you, he leans forwards. One hand travels from your hip to her throat, pulling your head backwards. He breaths against your ear and his grip tightens. As intense and erotic as the gesture is, it becomes more than a little uncomfortable when his grip tightens. You grab his hand to remove it, but he doesn’t know that you mean for him to stop; instead he laughs and tightens his grip. You whimper, in something resembling real panic, and when you try to say the password there is only a hoarse whisper. As a last resort you fiercely throw your head back against his, and at the shock of the shock of the impact his grip slackens and you desperately suck in as much air as you can manage.  _  
_

He recovers quickly, and you are still breathless when he resumes his tight hold of your hips and thrusts into you with a fierce and unrelenting pace. Loud groans and grunts spill from his mouth as his thrusts become shorter, quicker and harder. He's reaching for your throat again, and his thrusts are so rough that all of a sudden you feel terrified and overwhelmed. You want this to _stop_ , at least for the moment, so you scream the safeword at the top of your lungs: “ ** _Zacharie!_** ”

He stops immediately. The atmosphere becomes less intense, and despite your desperate panting, you are relieved and a little amused. When you two agreed on this safeword a while ago, both had snickered at the absurdity of it. You had been more amused than he was, purely because of the fact that it was _his_ suggestion in the first place...

-

 _(Not too long ago, you and the Batter were walking out of a store when you mused, "_ _Zacharie's prices are going through the roof. I wonder why."_

_"I know why," the Batter said gruffly, glancing back at the shop with a wary look in his eye._

_You smiled. "Care to explain?"_

_"He sees that we are together, and he hopes that I will spend many credits to impress you," he explained, looking embarrassed._

_"Oh!" You said, your smile turning into a grin. "So_ that's _why he kept asking if you wanted to buy chocolates and stuffed animals. Ha-ha... Even with the mask on, I could tell he was unhappy when you said no."_

 _"Yes, and he raised the price of the rest of his items out of spite," your partner grumbled. "_ _You aren't mad I said no to the gifts, are you?"_

_"Of course not!" You assured him. "I don't need items to know you love me." The Batter's face reddened in such an endearing way that you were forced to link your arm in his. "Sneaky Zacharie won't change that, no matter what."_

_"I'll have to find a way to get back at him," Batter muttered._

_"Not in your usual manner, I hope." The image of Batter looming over Zacharie with a bat in hand was nothing short of alarming._

_"No," Batter  assured you. "If I purified him, where else would I get my items? I will have to find another way."_

_You chuckled at this and leaned your head against his shoulder. For a time, the two of you walked on in thoughtful silence. After a while the Batter said,"I know how to get back at Zacharie." When you turned your gaze on him he was wearing a sneaky smile you didn't see on him often. "Remember that talk we had about...well... BDSM?"_

_"Yes," you say, fondly remembering how flustered he was when you explained it to him. Although you could tell he_  wanted _to understand why his strong, capable puppeteer would want him to control her, the concept failed him, and you'd known it would take a long time for the two of you to try anything like that. He had, however, understood the concept of needing a safeword to put a hault to any activities the two of you engaged in._

_"You also told me about safewords," The Batter continued. "We didn't settle on one. I now know what our safeword will be."_

_"Oh yeah? What will it be?"_

_"Zacharie," he said, and you threw back your head and laughed._

-

Now that you've said it, out loud, it sounds so silly and ill-fitting that you chuckle softly.

The Batter, however, is furious. "You think that’s _funny?_ ” He says, his voice tight with anger. After this he pulls himself out of you forcefully, and you gasp, more out of surprise than pain.

“Batter, what’s wrong?”

You turn around to see his face dark and pinched. “What do you think is wrong?” He says, his lips twisted into an ugly grimace. Although he turns his head away and moves to redress, you don't miss the redness in his eyes.

Obviously he has forgotten about the safeword and is hurt. You try to comfort him as quick as possible, as you can conceive of nothing worse than him being hurt over a silly misunderstanding, but in your hurry words tumble out of your mouth without any filter.

"Batter--don't be silly--you know, of course, that Zacharie is--that it was _your_ idea--"

" _My_ idea?" Since his back is turned, all you can hear is his voice, low, even and perfectly serene. His calmness is so eerie it causes fear to pool in your belly. "As I recall, this was _your_ idea." Ever so slowly he bends over to pick up his cap. " _You_ said we should try 'something different'. That there was...something you'd wanted to try for a while, but were unsure about."

You watch as he settles the cap over his head and slowly turns to face you. His eyes are obscured in shadow, but as anger creeps into his tone you easily imagine they're wild with rage. "W-well,  _yes_ , but Batter--we talked about it--you know--" you stammer.

"I admit I wondered what brought it on. Now I know." His voice lowers. "You've been with Zacharie. You missed him, so you asked me to-" He takes a deep breath. "To treat you the way he treats you."

"B-Batter, no!" Your voice shaking with what is almost hysteria. This is all so _ridiculous_! Obviously the Batter is deeply upset, and the fact that it's over  _nothing_ hurts you in turn. "Don't be... it's... That's just wrong! _You're_ wrong!"

It is the worst thing you could have possibly said, but this horrible and abrupt turn of events has robbed you of your usual composure.

"Perhaps I was," he says, still avoiding your gaze. "No longer."

He doesn't slam the door when he leaves, but you find yourself wishing he had: the silence he leaves behind is deafening.

-

Although it is not often that Zacharie finds himself uncomfortable with silence, on the off chance that he is all alone and has no work to do he will hum. Now, for instance, he is humming an old and playful lullaby. His voice is soft and warm, and he infuses it with an undertone of sadness to match the subtle melancholy of its lyrics.

Oddly enough, he’s been humming more than usual lately. Although his shop is still filled with the usual flow of Elsen, he has not been visited by the Batter and the Puppeteer for a long time.

 _Well,_ he reminds himself. _Four days, to be exact._ The timespan itself may not be long, but, as businesslike as his manner is, he can’t deny the fondness he feels for the bloodthirsty religious zealot and his mysterious companion. He looks forward to their visits, which are usually once a day; the longest they’ve ever gone without a visit is two days.

He gasps as a horrifying thought hits him. Could they have found another merchant? _No, of course not._ He is the only vendor in the whole game. The fanciful thought escapes as soon as it arrived. Perhaps the two had a row? But surely if that were the case, one of them would come to him. He hopes the idea isn’t too presumptuous; from the way they interact, he believes the Puppeteer would consider him the best choice in the game for a confidant. Besides the Judge.

Thinking it over, perhaps she _would_ choose to confide in the Judge rather than himself. Zacharie sighs abysmally. For all his charm, Zacharie is no match for a soft, purring cat that will rub himself against people's legs in an endearing and adorable fashion.

“What’s the matter?” A brusque voice asks him, and he looks up to see the Batter. He blanches underneath his mask at the sight: the Batter looked positively haggard.

“I should ask you the same thing!” Zacharie says. “My dear friend, what happened to you?”

The Batter narrows his eyes and leans heavily on the counter. He would have looked weary if it weren't for the sharp, dangerous glare he sent Zacharie. “I left my home with my Puppeteer," he mutters. “For the fast few days I have purged spectres without rest."

“Goodness,” Zacharie says. It may not be much but it’s all he can say after hearing of this. “Are you all right?”

The Batter looks as though he’d like to wring his neck, but he keeps his voice even. “I’m fine, considering the circumstances.”

A few moments of tense silence pass before Zacharie can no longer resist the urge to speak. “Forgive me for being so bold, but I must ask: whatever caused you to leave your darling Puppeteer?”

“You,” the Batter growls, sending the merchant a fierce glare.

“ _Me?_ ” Zacharie asks with genuine surprise. “That is a shame, and I haven’t the faintest idea why. How about I can give you an excellent deal to make up for whatever it is that I’ve done?” He takes out an item and holds it out for Batter’s inspection like a gleeful new father showing off his newborn child. "Perhaps an Aura of Tenacity, to ensure that you can once again hold the lovely Puppeteer in your arms. Only 5500 credits!”

“Last time I checked, the price was only 5000!” The Batter snaps, and Zacharie holds up his hands in defense.

“I cannot be held responsible for fluctuations in market prices,” Zacharie says calmly. “To be honest I am officially selling this for 6000. I made a special deal just for you, but if you don’t want to take it, well…”

The Batter narrows his eyes and tunes out the vendor’s words. _Does he truly believe I will fall for his tricks?_ _Sneaky Zacharie._  He grows solemn upon realizing he'd thought the words _Sneaky Zacharie_ in his Player's voice. But when had she said that? 

Zacharie hears a choking sound and turns to see a thoroughly startled Batter.

“Are you all right, friend?” He asks hesitantly.

“Yes,” the Batter says breathily and heatedly. Zacharie takes a step back, just to be on the safe side. “Now I know what was wrong!” His eyes are bright with surprise and relief. “When she screamed your name during copulation, she wasn’t calling for _you_! She was just using our _safeword!_ ”

He seems positively giddy with relief -- or, at least, as close to giddy as the Batter could ever get. It's really more of understated pleasure than giddiness.

This is what Zacharie thinks during the moments immediately following the Batter's outburst.

Then his brain processes what was actually  _said._

"Excuse me," Zacharie says slowly. He's sure his ears deceived him. There is no way he truly just heard that. "I'm sure I'm mistaken, but I must be sure: are you telling me that you and our dear Puppeteer decided on  _my_  name for a-a _safeword_?" _  
_

"Yes," the Batter says, barely paying attention.

All Zacharie can do is blink. Privately he is impressed with the sophistication of the game mechanics; what an interesting character arc for the Batter. Admittedly, when he first saw the righteous jersey-clad purifier, he never would have expected him to settle down with his Puppeteer and decide to perform sexual acts that would require a safeword. Consequently, it was beyond his wildest imagination that the Batter had it in him to use the word  _Zacharie_ for a safeword.

Rather than play the role of offended gentleman-- which, mind you, he has every right to play-- he decides to write it off as a happy accident in the programming and stay the cheerfully conniving businessman. "Hold on, amigo!" He calls when the Batter begins to leave.

The Batter turned to see Zacharie holding a hefty box of candy in one hand and two large stuffed toys in the other.

"You might need these."

-

You're not sure what you expect when you hear firm knocks on your door. Although your heartbeat increases at the notion that it could be the Batter, you resign yourself with the more realistic idea that it is probably a neighborly Elsen asking to borrow a cup of sugar.

To your surprise there is a tall and handsome man, rather than a weak and nervous Elsen, standing on your doorstep-- and with _presents!_  The Batter wears a humble and apologetic expression completely unlike himself. Indeed, he looks so like a lost puppy that your heart almost melts.

 _Almost_. You can't forget the harsh and irrational way he treated you--

"I'm sorry," he says earnestly, looking into your eyes. "Please forgive me."

Your heart melts.

A cry of "Oh, _Batter_!" is all you can manage through the tidal wave of emotions crashing upon you. Unsure of himself, the Batter holds out the extravagant gifts. You accept the heart-shaped box of chocolates first, noting the large red bow attached to it. Next you take the two soft stuffed renditions of Pablo and Valerie. You silently admire Zacharie's impeccable craftsmanship before looking up with a bright smile.

"Come in, then," you say, laughing with joy. His eyes light up at the sight of you and his heart aches when he realizes just how much he missed it. He grabs you, presents and all, and holds you tightly to him. It's sweet, raw, and wonderful, but you have to break apart.

No sooner has the door been closed and the gifts set down than you once again pulled into an embrace. This one is warmer and bereft of awkwardness; you smile into his shoulder and appreciate the strength of his hold. After a few moments you raise your head to meet his gaze. He touches your face, caressing your supple cheek, and he lifts your chin so that your noses almost touching. You can feel the warmth of his breath brushing the top of your lips, and soon your lips are embracing in a deep, loving kiss.

In the back of your mind you make a mental note to talk to him about changing your safeword. It will be something tame and simple, you decide, something _completely_ different so to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again...

“Dedan” will do quite nicely, you decide.

**Author's Note:**

> If you're interested, here's the original prompt:
> 
>  
> 
> _The Batter and the Player are in a nice, happy, sexually-active relationship, and when they decide to go for more naughty things they decide on a safeword: Zacharie. Because he's never even considered hurting his Player in any way whatsoever, the Batter forgets about it. One day during sex he screws up and his Player starts screaming the safeword, resulting in a misunderstanding that's more than a little awkward._
> 
>  
> 
> At first I wasn't going to fill the prompt, but then I noticed that there were multiple replies calling for a fill. Some of the people requesting a fill were authors who had written stories I'd really loved. As such, I decided to write this as my way of showing appreciation for all the wonderful writers in this fandom that have made me happy with their stories. ❤


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